Sărățele with telemea

Name: Sărățele with telemea
Ingredients: 500 g salted cow’s milk telemea; 100 g sheep’s cheese; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 packet caraway seeds (10 g); 250 ml milk; 10 g baking powder; 4 heaped tablespoons lard; 200 g softened butter; 800 g flour; 1 teaspoon oil

Appetizers - Sărățele with telemea by Cezara A. - Recipia

Sărățele with telemea, Romanian savory cheese crackers, bake in a thoroughly heated mold and develop golden edges. The dough with butter, milk and caraway stays tender, while sheep’s telemea gives it a pronounced flavor. I break them into small pieces and eat them while they’re still slightly warm. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 30 minutes. Resting: 30 minutes. Total time: 80 minutes. Servings: 16. About 420 kcal and 12 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

500 g salted cow’s milk telemea
100 g sheep’s cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet caraway seeds (10 g)
250 ml milk
10 g baking powder
4 heaped tablespoons lard
200 g softened butter
800 g flour
1 teaspoon oil

Preparation

1. Grate the cow’s milk telemea and sheep’s telemea into a bowl. Add the salt and caraway and mix. 2. Dissolve the baking powder in the milk and pour it over the cheese. Add the lard and softened butter, then gradually work in the flour until you have a smooth dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. 3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 4. Grease the mold with 1 teaspoon of oil and heat it for 5 minutes, until very hot. Shape the dough into small balls. 5. Bake the balls in batches, about 25 minutes in total, until golden.

Notes

You can replace the sheep’s telemea with another 100 g of cow’s milk telemea; these savory crackers contain gluten and dairy. You can serve them with unsweetened tea. Once cool, keep them in a closed container in the fridge for no more than 3 days. Wetter telemea makes the dough soft, while firmer cheese is easier to grate when cold; keep an eye on the texture as you add the flour. I start half an hour before baking and don’t rush the dough’s chilling time.